System and method for digitally signing documents from a mobile device

Abstract

A system and method for embedding a written signature into a secure electronic document is disclosed. In certain embodiments, a user views the electronic document on a first computing device and creates an electronic digital signature on a mobile computing device. The user is securely certified by a system created alphanumeric code and the identification of the mobile device. The signature is then embedded into the electronic document and stored securely on a central server.

Claims

1. A system for embedding an electronic signature into a digital document comprising; computing device having a first screen for viewing the digital document; a software application on a mobile computing device enabling a user to highlight a signature field; a central server storing the digital document for the user; an alphanumeric code from the central server on the computing device having a first screen; a mobile computing device having a second screen for inputting the alphanumeric code, the code representing approval by the user to use a pre-stored signature in the highlighted signature field; the software application adapted to transmit the electronic signature, an input code, a user identity, and mobile computing device identification information to the central server; the input code, the user identity, the mobile computing device identification information, and a time stamp and a date stamp infused into the associated digital document, wherein the software application is adapted to generate the electronic signature from an input device having a touchscreen or through the use of air gestures whereby the electronic signature is generated without touching the touchscreen; wherein the software application is adapted to operate a camera function of the mobile computing device, enabling the user to take a picture of the electronic signature and later store the electronic signature for future use; and, wherein the software application is adapted to allow the user to input the alphanumeric code on the mobile computing device via a keyboard, a touchscreen, or by way of air gestures.

2. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the digital document is stored on the central server and made available for viewing by the user on the computing device having a first screen.

3. The system as described in claim 1 further comprising a software program on computer readable medium operating on the central server the software program adapted to associate the digital document with an intended recipient, generate an alphanumeric code for user verification, and provide the user the capability to view the digital document and alphanumeric code on the computing device having a first screen.

4. The system as described in claim 3 wherein the software program is adapted to authenticate the user via confirmation of the alphanumeric code and the mobile communication device identification or mobile computing device identification information.

5. The system as described in claim 4 wherein further including at least one of a mobile computing device or mobile communication device identifier having any one or combination of IMEI, IMSI, RUIM, MSIN, MIN, MSID, MEID, UDID, TMSI, MNC, MSCID, GPS, MAC Address, a time and date of the electronic signature, or information provided in response to security requests of the software application.

6. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the software application is adapted to prompt the user to authenticate, approve, and insert the electronic signature in one or more locations within in one or more documents, the user enabled to draw or highlight a box of the signature field; wherein the user activates the signature field by clicking, selecting, tapping or touching.

7. The software application operating on a central server as described in claim 1 that infuses the signature in the document.

8. The system as described in claim 1, further comprising: locking the document from edits to secure the authenticity of the document.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 1 and the first computing device of claim 1 wherein the mobile computing device may be the same device as the computing device.

10. A method for embedding an electronic signature into a digital document comprising the steps of: viewing the digital document on a computing device having a first screen; highlighting a signature field; displaying a software program generated alphanumeric code on the computing device having a first screen; inputting the alphanumeric code on a mobile computing device having a second screen, the code representing approval by a user to use a pre-stored signature in the highlighted signature field; transmitting the electronic signature from a software application on the mobile computing device and any one or combination of an input code, a user identity, mobile computing device identification or mobile communication device identification information to a central server; infusing the electronic signature from the central server and any one or combination of the input code, the user identity, the mobile computing device identification or the mobile communication device identification information, and a time and date stamp into the digital document; wherein the software application is adapted to generate the electronic signature from an input device having a touchscreen or through the use of air gestures whereby the electronic signature is generated without touching the touchscreen; wherein the software application is adapted to operate a camera function of the mobile computing device, enabling the user to take a picture of the electronic signature and later store the electronic signature for future use; and, wherein the software application is adapted to allow the user to input the alphanumeric code on the mobile computing device via a keyboard, a touchscreen, or by way of air gestures.

11. The method as described in claim 10 wherein the digital document is stored on the central server and made available for viewing by the user on the computing device having a first screen.

12. The method as described in claim 10 further comprising enabling a software program on computer readable medium operating on the central server, the software program adapted to associate the digital document with an intended recipient, generate the alphanumeric code for user verification, and provide the user the capability to view the digital document and alphanumeric code on the computing device having a first screen.

13. The method as described in claim 12 further comprising authenticating the user via confirmation of the alphanumeric code and the mobile computing device identification or the mobile communication device identification information and the software application; wherein the mobile communication device identification or the mobile communication device identification information comprises any one or combination of IMEI, IMSI, RUIM, MSIN, MIN, MSID, UDID, TMSI, MNC, MEID, MSCID, GPS, MAC Address, time and date of the electronic signature, or information provided in response to security requests of the software application.

14. The method as described in claim 10 wherein the software application is adapted to draw or highlight a box of the signature field and further adapted to authenticate, approve, and insert the electronic signature in one or more locations within one or more digital documents, the user activating the signature field by clicking, selecting, tapping or touching.

15. The method as described in claim 10 wherein the software application infuses the electronic signature in the digital document and further locks the digital document from edits to secure an authenticity of the digital document.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are further described in the detailed description which follows, with reference to the drawings by way of non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present invention, wherein like reference numerals represent similar parts of the present invention throughout the several views and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the process of a user viewing a document, receiving a security code, capturing a signature on a mobile device, sending the signature and security code from the mobile device to the central server, and receiving a confirmation code on the mobile device.

(3) FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the components of the system: the central server, first computing device, and second mobile computing device. Also shown is the process where the user views the document and the central server sends a unique alphanumeric code, and the mobile device user sends a signature and the unique alphanumeric code.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a signature created by the use of an input device such as a stylus, where the user creates a signature on the screen of the device and saves for future use.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a signature being created by using a finger on the touchscreen of a mobile device, or by the use of air gesturing on the mobile device wherein the finger does not actually touch the screen. The signature image is created and then saved for future use.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a signature being created by signing a piece of paper with a pen or pencil and using the camera function of a mobile device to take a picture of the signature which then displays and saves the signature image on the mobile device.

(7) FIG. 6 shows a sample document that a user would view on a first computing system. The user would view the document, draw or highlight a box where the signature goes, and view an alphanumeric code that is sent from the central server.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) Although the detailed description herein contains many specifics for the purposes of illustration, anyone of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following details are within the scope of the embodiments described herein. Thus, the following illustrative embodiments are set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the claimed invention.

(9) Referring to the block diagram described in FIG. 1, the first step involves the storing of a document on a central server that requires a signature 101. Now referring to FIG. 2 the system consists of the central server 201, a first computing device 202, and a second device which is a mobile computing or mobile communications device 203. In some embodiments, the first computing device and second mobile computing device may be one and the same device.

(10) Per instructions from the signature service subscriber, instructions are sent to the person whose signature is needed, and access is given for that person to view the document 601 on a first computing device, 102 in FIGS. 1 and 204 in FIG. 2. The user will select to sign 103 the document, and will highlight the one or more signature fields 104 or draw a box at the signature field 602. At that point, a system generated unique alphanumeric code 105 is generated and displayed, 205 in FIGS. 2 and 603 in FIG. 6, on the users first computing device. The alphanumeric code is a unique code that the user will input into their second mobile computing device as verification that the user is indeed providing the electronic signature.

(11) The user will then launch an application, or applet 107, on the mobile computing device and capture a signature 108 by one of various methods. One method is to use an input device such as a stylus 302 to sign directly on the touchscreen 303 of the mobile computing device 301, thus creating a signature image 304 that is viewed then saved for future use.

(12) Another method to create a signature is for the user to sign on the touchscreen 402 of the mobile device 401 by using a finger 403 that directly touches the screen 404 and creates a signature image 405 that is viewed and saved for future use. A variation of this method is for the user to use a finger 403 and sign a signature by using air gesturing 406 without actually touching the screen 402 of the mobile computing device 401.

(13) Another method to create a signature is for the user to sign on paper using a pen or pencil 502 creating a paper signature 503. The user then uses the camera function 504 of the mobile computing device 501 to capture a picture of the signature image 503 that is then displayed on the device screen 505 and saved for future use.

(14) After a signature is created, the user (signer) inputs the unique alphanumeric code 107 on the mobile device, and the mobile device application then sends the signature and code to the central server, 110 in FIGS. 1 and 206 in FIG. 2.

(15) The central server authenticates the document 111, infuses the signature into the document with the mobile device identity and time and date stamp of the action 112, then finally sends a confirmation code to the mobile device 113.